Western Europe

Chile’s economic development agency Corfo has selected three companies – two Chinese and one Spanish – to build electrolyzer production facilities in the country. The projects, set to begin operations by mid-2026, will assemble alkaline and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers ranging from 50 kW to 5 MW.

An Italian research team has found that radicchio seedlings grown in a lab-scale greenhouse with a perovskite solar PV roof exhibited faster growth and larger leaves than the bare glass reference. In addition, simulations of such a PV roof revealed a positive energy balance, satisfying the energy demands of a typical greenhouse located in Italy.

German researchers have found that the majority of subsidies required to reach the country’s renewable energy targets have already been paid, with an estimated 80% to 90% of subsidies for units in operation covered. The costs of newer renewable energy sources have decreased and are often competitive with remunerations from the wholesale market.

France-based Akuo currently operates a 1.9 GW renewable energy plant portfolio.

Greece’s latest auction has awarded subsidies to 188.9 MW of standalone, front-of-the-meter, utility-scale battery energy storage. The auction was the third and final edition of a battery storage subsidy program launched in 2023, with the country now turning its focus towards a new 4.7 GW unsibsidized BESS scheme.

Developer Shannon LNG has obtained permission from the Irish planning authorities for a 600 MW regasification unit and a 120 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) in County Kerry. It is unclear when the plant will be built. Renewable energy advocates and opposition politicians are calling on the state to overturn the permit, citing Shannon LNG’s separate plans to construct a controversial LNG terminal near the gas plant.

The Italian manufacturer said its new heat pumps use R454B as a refrigerant and have coefficient of performance of up to 3.35.

HyIron says it has produced the first green hydrogen molecules at its Namibian facility, while Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has secured AUD 814 million ($512 million) for its Murchison Green Hydrogen project in Western Australia.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU will showcase a new hydrogen microgrid platform at the end of March. The researchers say it could help to serve hospitals, remote rural areas and war-torn regions.

First Great British Energy project will see the state-owned renewables company roll out rooftop solar across around 200 schools and 200 National Health Service (NHS) sites in England. Monies for community energy groups and power schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland included in investment package.